


take my hand

by clarcmontdiaz



Series: side of paradise [1]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Andrew is still questioning, Brief mention of Neil's demisexuality?, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, POV Neil Josten, They are literal kids, andrew is 12, friends - Freeform, neil is 11
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:08:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26613481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clarcmontdiaz/pseuds/clarcmontdiaz
Summary: Andrew is Neil's only friend. Neil is Andrew's only friend. They complete each other, they don't need anyone else.
Relationships: Neil Josten & Andrew Minyard, Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard
Series: side of paradise [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937248
Comments: 8
Kudos: 133





	take my hand

Neil Hatford had one friend in the whole world - Andrew Minyard. He knew Andrew for as long as he could remember.

His uncle always said he was rather lonely, but Neil didn’t think so. He was very much content with his friend. He and Andrew did all sorts of things; they rented movies illegally, they went to animal shelters to pet stray cats, they even sometimes went to the local high school’s exy games. So, they were having fun. Uncle Stuart could suck it, he didn’t even have an Andrew. 

Neil was Andrew’s only friend, too. He apparently had a twin brother and a cousin, but they didn’t even come to visit Andrew. Neil did not wonder why, it wasn’t his business. The only thing that mattered to him was that his best friend was okay, and as long as he was, Neil was happy.

So that’s how the two ended up under the bleachers of Columbia High’s exy game. The court was fairly empty, so they didn’t want to attract any attention. They were 11-year-olds, after all. (Well yes, Andrew was 12.) 

The weather was cold, but for it being December, it was not surprising. They were just wearing cardigans, much to Andrew’s mother’s complaints, so yeah, they were freezing themselves out. 

Andrew was focused on the game, watching the goalkeeper’s every move. “I think I want to play as a goalie when we’re in high school,” He mumbled. It may have been for himself, but Neil heard him anyway.

“I think you’d be amazing at it, you don’t like moving much,” Neil said, with a grin in his face.

Andrew turned to him with an unimpressed look. “You think you’re funny, now?” He turned to the game for a few minutes, hearing the goalie’s name in the speakers, but then turned back to Neil. “I think you’d make a nice striker.”

“Damn straight,” Neil exclaimed. “I can run real fast.”

Andrew chuckled. “I know you can, Mr. I’m-afraid-of-girls-so-let-me-run-to-the-boys’-washroom.”

“Hey!”

“Anyway, did you know that Melissa is in love with you?” Andrew asked. “Kevin told me.”

Neil paused for a moment. He didn’t know how to react. He never had been in love, like most of their friends did, and he wasn’t sure if he would ever to. Because ever since they finished elementary school and started middle school, it seemed like everyone unlocked their ‘can fall in love’ feature. Everyone was in love with everyone, and they assumed Neil was, too. Neil didn’t even know what love was. 

“You like her?” Andrew asked again when Neil didn’t answer.

“No,” he whispered. Melissa was a pretty girl, she was nice, too, but Neil didn’t like her like that. “No, I don’t think I do.”

Neil tucked his face in between his knees and stopped watching the game. He didn’t like talking about these things, it made him feel… different, somehow. He rubbed his hands to keep himself warm. Neil didn’t like the weather being cold when he was feeling upset, it just made him worse. 

“Stupid striker missed the shot,” Andrew commented on the game. It was clear that he didn’t sense Neil’s discomfort. 

Neil didn’t want a girlfriend. Neil didn’t want any friends. Sure, there was Kevin who was Andrew’s mother’s very close friend’s son, they practically lived together, but that was it. He only had Andrew, and he only wanted Andrew. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Neil could feel Andrew’s gaze on him. Andrew didn’t touch him, he knew that sometimes it was hard to make physical contact. He had a bad father, and the impact of his actions was still alive.

Neil didn’t look up, he just hummed as in ‘nothing’. He heard Andrew turning his body towards Neil.

“Neil,” Andrew whispered, it sounded weird. Not like Andrew. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Of course, you don’t have to like her - you don’t have to like anyone. I’m sorry.” His voice drifted off to the end of the sentence. Neil looked up just to peak through his fingers. “I heard, again from Kevin, that a girl in his class likes me. I didn’t like that, too.”

Why didn’t he like it? Andrew was a blond, hazel-eyed boy who was insanely pretty. He has always this handsome. Why didn’t he like that a girl liked him? 

Neil shivered again. This time, Andrew noticed.

“To be honest,” Andrew continued, “I don’t like it when those girls like me. I don’t want to be any of them’s boyfriend.”

Neil had very complicated feelings for the word ‘boyfriend’. Why did it have to mean something like that, when the word was a simple combination of ‘boy’, and ‘friend’? Why couldn’t Neil just call Andrew his boyfriend?

“Why not?”

“I’m confused, I don’t know the reason,” mumbled Andrew. Neil didn’t comment any further.

They fell into a deep silence for a few minutes. Neil’s head was back between his knees, and Andrew was back on watching the last quarter of the exy game.

The weather was still so cold. “Andrew?” Neil whispered, pulling out his head. He could see the fog coming from his lips.

Andrew hummed and looked at him. 

“Can I hold your hand? It’s cold.”  _ And I don’t feel good right now, your hand always helps. _

This time, Andrew hummed in approval and slid closer to Neil and held out his hand. When they intertwined their fingers, Neil finally felt relaxed again.

He only needed Andrew. No one else. 

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr [@kingofarnes!](https://kingofarnes.tumblr.com)


End file.
